THE way things are going in the turbulent world of men’s professional golf just now, you wouldn’t be surprised if the RMT’s ubiquitous Mick Lynch got called in to try to broker some agreeable terms and conditions.
In this summer of golfing discontent, things continue to rumble away as the battle between Greg Norman’s LIV Golf Series and the PGA Tour and DP World Tour roars on with punches and counter-punches. Nobody, it seems, is going to toss in the towel in this increasingly bruising bout.
Yesterday, Keith Pelley, the chief executive of the DP World Tour – formerly European Tour – came out with the gloves off and finally confirmed reports that those members who defied his circuit’s regulations by playing in the opening LIV Golf event at The Centurion Club earlier this month would be hit by bans and fines. And if we shoehorn any more dodgy fighting references into this piece, we’ll get a reprimand from the British Boxing Board of Control.
Those LIV Golf rebels who are members of the DP World Tour will be banned from next month’s $8m Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance and ordered to pay a penalty of £100,000.
Given that merely teeing-up at a LIV Golf event was worth about £105,000, those facing punishment will nonchalantly compare it to the shrugging inconvenience of a fine for the late return of a library book.
As the Scottish Open is co-sanctioned between the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour as part of a strategic alliance, the other two events in that arrangement – the Barbasol and Barracuda Championships in the US – will also be no-go areas for the defectors.
The posse banned from the Scottish Open – and the bans could extend to other tournaments – include the likes of Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and former Scottish Open winners Graeme McDowell and Bernd Wiesberger.
The PGA Tour, meanwhile, suspended 17 of its members indefinitely as soon as they hit a ball at the first LIV event.
Pelley’s approach is not as hard-line as the one adopted by his PGA Tour counterpart, Jay Monahan, but, after a prolonged period of “no comment” from the Wentworth HQ, the Canadian has finally broken the silence.
“We are partners with the PGA Tour but they have different rules and regulations and we act independently,” he said. “They did what they thought was right, we did what we thought was right.
“Every action anyone takes in life comes with a consequence and it is no different in professional sport, especially if a person chooses to break the rules. That is what has occurred here with several of our members.
“Many members I have spoken to in recent weeks expressed the viewpoint that those who have chosen this route have not only disrespected them and our Tour, but also the meritocratic ecosystem of professional golf.”
With Norman’s Saudi-backed gravy train gathering momentum – four-time major winner Brooks Koepka defected this week – Pelley in particular finds himself between a Great White Shark and a hard place.
It’s a hellishly complex palaver with potential implications far wider than a generous golf course fairway. For instance, DP World, the Dubai-based port operator which has a lucrative 10-year deal as title sponsor of the entire Tour, signed a massive, multi-year agreement earlier this week with the Saudi Ports Authority.
Banning players involved with the Saudis from a Tour effectively bankrolled by a company with huge ties to the Saudis will make for some interesting, high-powered conversations over soup and a sandwich. Good luck, Mr Pelley.
But back to the Scottish Open. The suspensions may grab all the headlines as golf’s on-going civil war just about prepares for mortar fire and fixed bayonets, but it’s actually quite good news good for some of the DP World Tour’s rank-and-file and hardy perennials.
As it’s co-sanctioned, the field for the domestic showpiece in East Lothian will now feature a split of 72 DP World Tour players and 72 PGA Tour campaigners. For those close to the cut-off on the rankings, the removal of the LIV Golf rebels bolsters opportunity.
“It’s a huge bonus for me and for the guys around me,” said Scotsman Richie Ramsay of a championship which is headlined by four of the world’s top-five and all four reigning major champions.
“Guys who are in the middle of the 70s [on the rankings] and didn’t look like getting in it before now have a chance. You want to be there. For me to win it would be life changing.”
The changing face of men’s professional golf, meanwhile, will have a few more contentious twists and turns to come yet.
